the wandering chick
As rich as Skagway's history is, it is not to be surpassed by that of the White Pass and Yukon Route, well-known as the WP&YR. The railroad has been designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark...that gives it the same status as The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and the Panama Canal!
Like everything else in this region of the world back in the late 1890s, it was gold that brought the WP&YR idea to being. Railroad building at that time was common, so it wasn't unusual when a handful of men shared the vision of an easier transport up the White Summit Pass to the goldfields. Sir Thomas Trancede, an investor, thought twice about building a track over the Coastal Mountains. The railroad labor contractor, Michael J. Heney, on the other hand, is quoted, "Give me enough dynamite and snoose, and I'll build a railroad to Hell." And that's about what they did. Obstacles such as cliff-hanging turns, the need for tunnels and bridges, construction in heavy snow and at temperatures of 60 below and a climb from zero to almost 3000 feet of solid rock in 2o miles had to be overcome.
Construction began on May 28, 1898 and was completed on July 29, 1900. Of the 35000 workers, 35 lost their lives. The financial cost: $10 million.
By the time the railroad was completed, the gold rush was over. But the railroad has been an invaluable asset from the day of its first run. During World War II, it helped supply the Army's Alaska Highway Construction Project. Today, it operates as an excursion railroad between Skagway and White Pass Summit and on to Carcross.
Gold diggers had a choice of two routes they could take to get up the mountain. One route was the Chilkoot Trail which started in Dyea, about 10 miles distance from Skagway. This trail was 33 miles long, 7 miles shorter than the White Pass Trail, but its last leg was so steep it was given the name"The Golden Staircase," a difficult incline to the top of Chilkoot Pass. The alternate route, The White Pass Trail, was longer but not as steep. This picture and the next show remnants of the actual foot path of the White Pass Trail. This particular portion is at 2,730 feet up the mountain, just 135 feet shy of White Pass Summit.
Choose a destination:
The Inside Passage, continue the trip in chronological order (The next stop is Petersburg.)
The previous location was Skagway.
Or, pick a location from the Interior Alaska home page.
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